Start with what I said

You need a dial bore gauge sized to measure the inside journals of the rods and main journals, as well as the cylinder bore.

You need micrometers to measure the crank journals for the rods and mains.

You also need a gauge to measure out of round. This will allow you to get the play set properly using a factory rebuild kit including the thrust washers. It will also allow you to check the concentricity of the crank journals.

Once you know everything is sized properly, you have the correct thrust spacing, etc., it's a fairly simple matter of bolting it together. On the rods and mains, you'll use oil or similar as a thread lubricant, so you get the proper torque. Hasting rings out of the package are fine for a "stock" rebuild. They'll seal fine. Don't use low-tension (high performance), as you don't know enough to make them seal properly. Assuming the machine shop does good on the bore honing, to get them to match each individual piston with .002 to .0025 piston to wall clearance, you'll probably be fine. (Check that with the factory service manual, of course!)

You'll want to measure your piston to deck clearance, and make sure it's right. Then dis-assemble it, because it won't be 100% where you want it likely, and have the block decked, then do it all again! As you can't guarantee clearances in a crank or rod journal, simply by measuring, you use plastigauge to ensure it's correct. A strip all the way around will tell you how close it is, and how much you need to open it up, to get it right. Odds are, you won't need to adjust it to be within tolerance, but, for instance, if you're running an LS/VTEC, and oil pressure is a concern, it may be more critical to ensure the tolerances are tight, rather than loose, to give the maximum pressure, or if you're running a 40 weight or 50 weight oil, due to high expected constant temps, such as a road race environment, it may need to be built more loosely, to allow the oil to get where it should.

Of course, looser is always faster, but at the expense of longevity. Too loose, and it has enough movement and force to break the "sheer" of the oil, and hit the bearing surface. Too tight, you may not get enough oil in it. Run a cheap oil, or a non-synthetic oil, with a loose tolerance, and perhaps it kills the motor.....

In Tre's case, the machine shop he went to, took time (for an amount of money, I'm sure) to measure and machine, as well as mark, every part for him. Then, he saved a few $$ by putting it together himself. Perhaps, he saved a couple of hours labor. And, assuming he knew enough to double-check behind the shop, and put it together properly, and torque the bolts right, with the proper methods, it probably works well. Of course, assuming the shop did the work right!

But hey, we're not trying to tell you not to do so, and not to learn it. Only that, if you want it cheap, you'll get what you're paying for.

BTW, I, for one, am not on a level high enough to build a NASCAR racing engine, but give me 6 months, with the technology they have to work with, and I can get there!

And for some of you who want some interesting thoughts: What is better, a port, properly sized for a 31mm valve, that flows a peak of 270 CFM, at .400 lift, or a port, properly sized for a 33mm valve, that flows a peak of 270 CFM at .400 lift, given that the flow #'s are even?

QuickVIII, please feel free to answer that in PM, as I know you know the answer. There might be a few of the others who could guess right, but you're one of the few I've seen who could tell me why!